Mandible positioning gauge



Jan. 12, 1954 H. s. TOBEY 2,665,488

MANDIBLE POSITIONING GAUGE Filed Aug. 5, 1952 FIG. 1 PIC-3.2.

2/ A? FIG. 5.

F'IG.4..

INVENTOR HYMAN .S. TOBEY,

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE- MANDIBLE POSITIONING GAUGE Hyman S; Tobey, Plainfield, N. J. Application August 5, 1952 Serial N 0. 302,672

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a mandible position-- ing gauge and more particularly toan adjustablegauge for determining the rest and occlusal positions of the mandible in fitting dentures.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved gauge for use by dentists for determining the rest and occlusal positions of the lower jaw or mandible in fitting dentures; which is adjustable so that bothpositions of the mandible can be determined with the same instrument and variations in mandible positions among different patients compensated for; which is safe and easy to use and accurate in use; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a gauge illustrative of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the gauge illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a fragmentary portion of the gauge showing a structural detail thereof.

With continued reference to the drawing, the gauge comprises, in general, a first body It! and a second body Ii pivotally mounted on the first body.

The first body It includes a portion I2 of elongated, rectangular shape constituting theshank and handl of the gauge, and a jaw i3 project ing substantially perpendicularly from the portion ii at one end of this portion and tapering in its dimension longitudinally of the portion I2 from its proximal to its distal end.

The second body I I is of substantially triangular shape and is dis-posedagainst one side of the portion I2 of the body I8. An aperture is provided in the second body II adjacent one corner M thereof and registers with an aperture provided in the portion I2 of the body It intermediate the length of the portion I2 and near the longitudinal edge of this portion remote from the jaw l3 and registers with the aperture inv the body II. A rivet I5 extends through the registering apertures in the body I i and the portion I2 of the body It and pivotally connects the body I I to the body I!) in a manner such that the body I I extends beyond the longitudinal edge of the portion I2 of the body it adjacent the jaw I8 and extends from the rivet IS in a direction away from the jaw I3 on the body III.

A jaw I5 projects from the corner of the body ll disposed outwardly of the side edge of the body portion I2 adjacent the jaw I3 and this jaw It also tapers in its dimension longitudinal- 1y of the: body portion I2 from its proximal to its distal. end, On'e'edge I! of the flat body Ii constitutes a substantially straight line extend-- ing from the corner is at which the body i! is pivotally connected to the body It to the distal end of the jaw It and the edge It oi the body iI constitutes a substantially straight line extending from the proximal end of the jaw I6. to the third corner IQ' of the triangular body. The third edge 28 of the body iI extends from the corner l t to the cornerld.

With this arrangement, the jaw I6 on the'sec- 0nd body II is spaced from and opposed to the:

jaw It on the first body it and the distal end of the jaw it is movable toward and away from the distal end of the jaw I3 when the second body ii is pivoted about its pivotal connection I 5' with the first body l0.

An arcuately curved closed slot 2i extends, transversely of the portion I2 of the body I t at a location spaced from the side of the rivet I5 remote from the'jaw i3 and a rivet 22 extends through an aperture in the body II and throughthe slot 2! to provide frictional resistance to movement of the body it relative to the body IE3.

Anarcuately curved scale 23 of lineal measurement is provided on (the side of the body portion i2 against which the body I i is disposed and ad'- jacent the corner Id of the body II, and this scale cooperates with the sharp corner IQ of the body I I to indicate variations in the distance between the distal ends of the jaws I3 and It of the gauge. This scale preferably indicates variations'in the distance between the distal ends of the jaws I3 and it in millimeters, so that the dentist can use these measurements directly without conversion or interpolation.

A portion of the body portion l2 between the body II and the jaw 53 is knurled or roughened, as indicated at it, to provide a finger grip on the body portion I2- for convenience in using the instrument, and the distal end portions of the jaws i3 and It are sand blasted to provide slightly roughened surfaces, as indicated at 25 and 26, for retaining thereon a dye which is applied to the distal ends of the instrument jaws in the use of the instrument. At their distal ends the jaws are tapered in thickness, as well as in width,

and are slightly rounded, as indicated at 2"! in.

Figure 4, rather than pointed, so that they can be placed against the skin of a patients face Without any danger of injury to the skin and without. causing any discomfort to the patient.

In the use of the device, with the member II set relative to the member it, so that the corner [9 of the member l i is opposite the zero mark on the scale 23 of lineal trated in Figure l, and, with the patients face measurement, as il-lusin a relaxed condition, with the mandible at its position of rest, the distal ends of the jaws l3 and it are dipped in a color solution or dye and, with the instrument held in a vertical position, the distal ends or points of the jaws are touched to the patients face to apply two dots of color to the skin, one dot being located directly lateral to the ala of the nose, and the other on the chin at a location spaced somewhat from the center of the chin. This process is repeated several times with the point of the upper jaw 13 being always placed on'the dot first applied to the skin adjacent the nose until a definite location for the point of the lower jaw 16 is found on the chin at the rest position of the mandible. In an upper and lower denture case the wax bite of a lower denture to be fitted is then thoroughly warmed and softened and placed in the patients mouth. The gauge is adjusted, so that the distal ends or points of the jaws l3 and 16 are moved together a predetermined distance, for example, from two to three millimeters, and, with the point of the upper jaw it held on the dot adjacent the patients nose, the patient is required to raise his lower jaw or mandible until the point of the lower jaw of the instrument coincides with the dot previously determined on the patients chin. This will give a comfortable occlusal position for the mandible and will provide a freeway of the proper magnitude between the teeth when the mandible is at its rest position. The method can be carried out by this instrument to fit full upper and lower dentures or to fit an upper or a lower denture to natural teeth remaining in the complementary lower or upper jaw of the patient.

Both of the bodies and II are preferably formed of a corrosion resistant sheet material having the necessary structural strength and rigidity for the intended purpose. Materials particularly adapted to this use are sheet aluminum, stainless steel and synthetic: resin plastic.

The instruments or gauges may be made in various sizes for use on patients having large, medium or small facial structures, and may be otherwise varied within practical limits without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof- The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

scope of the invention being indicated by the ap-- pended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A gauge for use in fitting dentures comprising a first flat body of elongated rectangular shape having a first jaw extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom at one end thereof and tapering in a direction away from the body, a second fiat body of substantially triangular shape disposed against one side of said first body and having an outwardly tapering second jaw projecting from one corner thereof, pivot means pivotally connecting said second body adjacent a second corner thereof to said first body intermediate the length of the latter in a manner such that said second jaw is spaced from and opposed to said first jaw and said second body extends from said pivot means in a direction away from said first jaw, and a scale of lineal measurement on said first body adjacent the third corner of said triangular second body indicating difierences in the distance between the distal ends of said first and second jaws, said jaws having roughened surfaces at their distal ends to retain a liquid dye thereon.

2. A gauge for use in fitting dentures comprising a first fiat body of elongated rectangular shape having a first jaw extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom at one end thereof and tapering in a direction away from the body, a second flat body of substantially triangular shape disposed against one side of said first body and having an outwardly tapering second jaw projecting from one corner thereof, pivot means pivotally connecting said second body adjacent a second corner thereof to said first body intermediate the length of the latter in a manner such that said second jaw is spaced from and opposed to said first jaw and said second body extends from said pivot means in a direction away from said first jaw, and a scale of lineal measurement on said first body adjacent the third corner of said triangular second body indicating differences in the distance between the distal ends of said first and second jaws, said jaws having roughened surfaces at their distal ends to retain a liquid dye thereon and having their distal ends smoothly rounded for contact with the skin of a patient without injury or discomfort to the patient.

3. A gauge for use in fitting dentures comprising an elongated body, jaws extending in the same direction from said body and spaced apart in mutually opposed relationship to each other and having substantially pointed outer ends provided with means for carrying a dye material, said jaws being relatively movable toward and away from each other, and means carried by said body and at least one of said jaws indicating in units of lineal measurement the extent of variations in the distance between the outer ends of said jaws.

4. A gauge for use in fitting dentures comprising an elongated body, jaws extending in the same direction from said body and spaced apart in mutually opposed relationship to each other and having substantially pointed outer ends provided with means for carrying a dye material, said jaws being relatively movable toward and away from each other, and means carried by said body and at least one of said jaws indicating in units of lineal measurement the extent of variations in the distance between the outer ends of said jaws, the outer ends of said jaws being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the average distance on an adult human face from the ala of the nose to the center of the chin.

HYMAN S. TOBEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,298,866 Beach Apr. 1, 1919 1,328,007 Mannon et a1. Jan. 13, 1920 1,455,708 Brown May 15, 1923 1,589,973 Landa June 22, 1926 1,804,567 Pray May 12, 1931 2,561,020 Gerber July 17, 1951 2,562,224 Weyrick July 31, 1951 2,582,898 Baldwin Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,300 Great Britain June 20, 1913 

